“I rise to call the attention of the Senate to the erosion of freedom of speech in Canada." “There could scarcely be a more important issue than this.

“Freedom of speech is, and always has been, the bedrock of our Canadian democracy.“The great Alan Borovoy, who was the head of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association for more than forty years, calls freedom of speech a “strategic freedom”. “Because it is the freedom upon which all of our other freedoms are built. “For example, how could we exercise our democratic right to hold elections, without free speech? “How could we have a fair trial, without free speech? “And what would be the point of freedom of assembly, if we couldn’t talk freely at a public meeting? “It is the most important freedom. Indeed, if you had all of your other rights taken away, you could still win them back with freedom of speech.

Clearly Mr. Finley agrees that elected Members of Parliament should have free speech. That civil servants should have free speech. And our media should have freedom of the press to report what those people say.

Stephen Harper’s sudden conversion to ministerial accountability would be refreshing if it weren’t so sinister. Silencing political staff tightens the screws on an administration already consumed with managing its message and adds an essential layer of secrecy to the cover-up of Afghanistan prisoner abuse.